Hartsfield-Jackson
celebrates international travel of past, present and future By A.B. Snedeker and Amy Schneider

Against a backdrop of the site where the Maynard H.
Jackson Jr. International Terminal is under construction, Hartsfield-Jackson
celebrated the 15th anniversary of Concourse E. The Airport’s
international concourse has served as Atlanta’s gateway to the
world since it opened on September 21, 1994.

“Since its opening 15 years ago, Concourse E
has proven to be more than just a series of gates,” Aviation
General Manager Ben DeCosta said. “This concourse represents
the platform on which our carriers have built profitable international
growth strategies.”

In the year Concourse E opened, about 3 million international passengers
passed through Hartsfield-Jackson. By 2008, that number had grown
to more than 9 million. In 1994, the Airport offered service to 19
international destinations in 16 countries. Today, the Airport offers
nonstop service to more than 90 international destinations in 55 countries.

Concourse E is responsible for more than just growth in the number
of cities served. According to the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Global Commerce Council, the number of international businesses in
metro Atlanta has nearly doubled — from 1,261 to 2,200 —
since Concourse E opened in 1994.

The event also included remarks from Stephen Kremer, Atlanta port
director with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Valerie Jackson,
former Atlanta first lady and host of the radio show “Between
the Lines” on WABE-FM.

Kremer spoke about the need for changes in the aftermath of the September
11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the collaborative response by Hartsfield-Jackson
and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The programs and other efforts
to enhance customer service while maintaining national security set
the standard for other U.S. airports, he said.

“We needed … to let the world know that the United States
is still a welcoming nation,” Kremer said. “We wanted
to make sure that Atlanta presented all of our customers coming in
with the most professional treatment while keeping our enforcement
efforts to keep the United States safe.”

The commitment to customer service is paying off, he said, noting
that recent survey results show increasing customer satisfaction with
the international travel experience at Hartsfield-Jackson.

Jackson said that Concourse E — her “favorite concourse”
— and the international terminal bearing her husband’s
name honor his legacy of championing inclusiveness and connections.

“Action is the great separator, sometimes, between the haves
and the have-nots,” she said in describing her husband’s
and Airport leaders’ work to anticipate the needs of international
travelers. “Action turns ideas into ‘I-dids.’ ”

DeCosta also highlighted Atlanta’s next phase of global travel
growth.

“The Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal is an investment
in the future of international travel in Atlanta,” he said.
“The terminal will provide 12 new international gates and connect
to Concourse E, creating a 40-gate international travel complex.”

Construction of the international terminal began in summer 2008 and
is scheduled to be complete in spring 2012. Nearly 900 trade workers
are on the site. In all, the construction project will create about
3,000 trade, professional and administrative jobs.

Aviation General Manager Ben DeCosta
speaks at the anniversary celebration for international Concourse
E. Behind him is the site of the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International
Terminal, which is set to open in 2012 and, combined with
Concourse E, will create a 40-gate international complex.

Valerie Jackson, host of the radio
show "Between the Lines" on WABE-FM, and Stephen
Kremer, Atlanta port director with U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, spoke at the anniversary celebration for Concourse
E, which opened 15 years ago.